Houstonian 1959 - History. 1959. Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries. University of Houston Digital Library. Web. December 9, 2016. http://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/yearb/item/2265/show/1824.

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File Name

index.cpd

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Item Description

Title

History

Format (IMT)

image/jpeg

File Name

yearb1959013.jpg

Transcript

...history
As a remedy for the acute housing shortage, trailers were moved
onto the University campus to house veterans and their families.
In March, 1945, a separate Board of Regents for the University was created by an act of the State Legislature. One of the
first acts of the Board was the election of Dr. E. E. Oberholtzer
as the first full time president of the University of Houston.
Mr. and Mrs. Cullen donated oil royalties valued in excess
of $3,000,000 to the school. Several temporary buildings
were constructed in 1945.
With the advent of the atomic bomb and the end of the war,
soldiers discarded their uniforms and came home, many of
them to resume their college studies. The nation's youngest
Purple Heart wearer, 15-year-old Bob Kelso registered at the
U. of H. for "refresher" courses in the vocational and technological areas. In a newspaper article, the young veteran said
he liked everything about the University except the sophomores.
By 1946, the number of war veterans enrolled in courses
at the U. of H. had reached 6,510. Total enrollment was
10,968. A special counseling and guidance department was
set up for veterans. The Veterans Club was organized and
fifteen temporary buildings and four permanent steel shops
were erected to accommodate the increased number of students.
The University of Houston, seeking to alleviate the housing
shortage for veterans, worked with committees of the Veterans
Club, and, after some months of negotiations, arranged to
have trailers brought from nearby Texas cities to house the
vets and their families.
The University's first intercollegiate athletic program was
launched in '46 when the school joined the Lone Star Athletic
Conference.
The University's first basketball team to participate in an intercollegiate program won ten of the fifteen games played.
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